LIVING INDUCTEE

RON MILLS

DISTRICT 8 - YEAR 2026

Ron Mills was born in 1941, joining his parents, older brother, Ray, and little brother, Gary, on a small ranch near Stockett, Montana. When he was half way through first grade they moved to a ranch near Augusta and was subsequently raised on cattle ranches on the beautiful Rocky Mountain Front and has lived his entire life in that general area. He spent over 60 years packing and outfitting in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and during the “offseason” worked on cattle ranches, shod and broke horses and moved elk off private land to the Sun River Game Range. His entire life has revolved around horses, family, and the back country.

At six years old, the move to Augusta and going to school in such a ‘huge’ building with so many kids was a real shock to little Ronnie. He would get lost every time he left the classroom. Another surprise for the boy was the toilet that flushed just by pushing down a handle and everything disappeared like magic! As he matured, he was able to hunt and guide in the backcountry, never carrying a compass and never getting lost. But, put him in a shopping mall, turn him around twice and he wouldn’t have a clue how to get out.

As a youngster, Ron “practiced” riding broncs on the neighbors’ heifers and family milk cows, until he was caught too many times and brother, Ray, wouldn’t help anymore. When he was a sophomore in high school, he began competing in rodeos and continued a few years after graduating. In 1958 he took 1st place in bull riding at the Montana District 3 High School Rodeo in Fort Benton.  In 1959 he placed 1st in Saddle Bronc and Calf Roping and tied for the All-Around Cowboy at the District 3 High School Rodeo in Lewistown, allowing him to compete for the state title in Miles City. Two of Rons’ sons carried on the rodeo tradition, competing in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and qualifying for the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit finals several times.

As a teenager Ron and friends would find work with other ranchers, including stacking hay bales with a stone boat, getting 5 cents a bale, two for Ron and three for his friend. The six hundred dollar check at the end of the season made the heat, sweat and long days’ worth it. Stomping wool wasn’t Ron’s favorite job, the pay was poor, ticks more than plentiful and taking a bath two nights in a row were almost torture.

Before Ron started his own outfitting business he worked for outfitter, Roy Coghill. He tells of one summer pack-trip they took a family from Kansas, dad, mom and four daughters, ages six to sixteen. The cook, Marie Evans, had her daughter, Janice, with her. They camped at Nine Mile Park on the West Fork of the Sun River. Ron was unloading some pack stock when he heard the girls laughing and screaming over by the stream. When he investigated, he witnessed a big black bear coming across the river towards them. Ron had to run him off several times but the bear wasn’t deterred and kept up the advances for several hours. At bedtime Ron told Marie it would be best if she slept in the cook fly just in case the bear came back. Ron slept halfway between the horses and the cook fly. In the middle of the night, he heard Marie screaming and there was a lot of commotion at the cook tent. Ron ran over, expecting to find her fighting off the bear. Instead, she was beating and shaking her sleeping bag! Ron quizzed her about the bear coming in and she said “Hell no! There’s a damn mouse in my bedroll.” Ron was sure she had killed that mouse at least a dozen times. The rest of the night was peaceful. The next morning was quiet too, but as they began to break camp, they heard a terrible scream from the mom. Ron looked toward the teepee that had been set up for an outhouse and she is coming out with her pants down around her ankles, trying to run and screaming her head off. That darned bear had come up and stuck his head in the door, right in her lap. Of course, the bear ran away and when the mom was settled down Ron said to her, “Ma’am, you about scared that bear to death.” She saw no humor in that.

Ron went to work for outfitter Art Weikum in 1959 in the center of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Over the next 60 years he worked for seven different outfitters and started his own outfitting business in 1977, called ‘Mills Outfitting and Horseshoeing’. He guided hunters at 17 different camps on all four sides of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Ron endured many hardships throughout his life, including the 1988 fires that scorched the Wilderness and Rocky Mountain Front. Ron lost several of his camps, including gear and a horse. His fortitude and positive outlook, along with his drive to not give up and a supportive family, he made it through the crisis. Eventually he remade an outstanding outfitting business. About seven years ago he transitioned the business over to his son, Tucker and his family.

Not one to be idle and after much urging from his daughter and friends, Ron authored a book about his life as a cowboy, outfitter, single dad, horseshoer and elk herder. The book, “Under the Biggest Sky of All”, is in his own words as the stories draw the reader into the camp, corral or on the trail. Ron’s passion for the Wilderness, horses, elk and family are evident in the chapters. One also gets a sense of his incredible sense of humor and joy in pulling pranks. Ron has received great feedback on his book and enjoys visiting with those that read it. As his friend, Hal Herring, described Ron and the stories, “Most of his stories, whether about nearly falling off a cliff, freezing to death, or being utterly broke, are told with a wryness that suggest that, well, here I am, and obviously, things are pretty darn good, and buddy, you won’t believe what just happened.”

Ron’s family includes sons, Tucker, Denny, Ace and Reef; all living in or near Augusta and daughter, Sky, who lives in Helena, Montana. His oldest son, Doug, was killed in a car wreck in 1987 when he was only 19 years old. Ron is a proud grandfather to eight grandchildren and two great-grandsons.

As Ron ponders about his life, he feels that few people have witnessed the things he has nor enjoyed life more. He says these are things that money just can’t buy. He stated, “A lifetime of work that I love spent in an area that I love and most of the time in my favorite place, in a saddle on the back of a horse.”